The PHANTOM: Knights of the Ghost
by ImperfectSystem
Summary: This is for those who came in late...Long ago a lone survivor of a pirate raid pledged to defend the helpless and combat evil and injustice in all its form...and so he became the first Phantom...This is the story of the 21st of his line.
1. For those who came in Late

I own nothing of anything I write beside the story...

_**Tis is for those who came in late...**_

_It all started four hundred years ago when a merchant ship was attacked by vicious pirates known as the Singh Brotherhood. The captain's son watched helplessly as his father was killed by their leader- the vicious and cruel Kabai Singh._

_The boy jumped overboard and was washed up on the beaches of a jungle island called Bengalla. _

_The Rope people who inhabited the island tookthe boy in and he was to grow up umong them. The boy swore an oath on the skull of his father's killer that he shall avange his father's death by combating evil, cruelty and injustice in all its form, with the Fourth Skull and the ring of favour he set out this task._

_And so began a legacy that plagued his line. The legacy of the Ghost Who Walks..._

_And so began the legacy of __**THE**__**PHANTOM...**_

-o-

**Bengalla Jungle-1940**

Diana Palmer watched in awe and uncontained excitement as the ship approached the coast. Anyone who would see her would think her mentally incompetant as she was as giddy as a school girl.

"Mrs Walker?" Diana snapped back into reality and turned around, leaving the breathtaking view of the jungle shores and now making eye contact with the captain of the ship. "We are nearing the shores and you should get your things ready."

"Of course Captain, I was merely admiring the scene."

The captain smiled and bowed slightly before moving back into the helms room. Captain Jonothan Neil was a close friend of hers and her husband Kit. She smiled again, Kit Walker, her beloved husband awaited for her arrival there on the jungle island. She would normally take these retreats away from home and visited her husband's...work place. She planned to 'reward' for his hard work and being sworn to fight evil day by day would be hard. This was something Diana's mother despised most about her son-in-law and had made many attempts to sway her daughter from marrying such a man.

It did not work. If anything her attempts had strengthened Diana's love for Kit, The Ghost Who Walks, the Phantom of Bengalla.

Diana breathed in the cool and fresh air, the breaze circulating her and whispering. On the deck she was given a fantastic view of the forest, the green trees, the waterfalls in the distance. There was a fishery and a dock just ahead and Diana could faintly make out the figures of President Luaga and Colonal Worubu of the Jungle Patrol. The Patrol was Bengalla's only line of deffence against internal and externl threats, led in secret by the Phantom himself, these men from many lines defend the week jungle folk and the President himself from pirates.

Three hundred years ago, the sixth Phantom defeated the Pirate Lord Redbeard in single combat as was tradition to all scally-wags. Redbeard, amazed at the Phantom's moral and fighting skill and brain pledged allegiance to the Ghost and along with his men. "No longer pirates...no longer to live as thieves and cruelty...you shall fight crime, evil, cruelty and injustice in all its form...you shall be the Jungle Patrol!"

Each year a thousand men and women apply from all nations to join this fabled sentinel and only ten are selected. They are the most elite force on Earth and admired by all corners of the dark jungles, by many countries. The Rope people that live in the trees call them the Knights of the Skull as they all recognise them as The Phantom's men even though they don't.

Worubu was the only member of the Jungle Patrol to know of the Phantom's existance and his identity. The Captain of the Patrol was also one they could trust. Captain Phillip Horton acted as the liason for Kit and was a close friend of Diana's uncle, Dave. She was fortunate to have trusting friends like them.

They neared the dockas and as soon as the ship stopped and everyone was permitted to depart, Diana ran out with her suitcase, onto the docks and to the two men waiting for her. "Good to see you again Miss Palmer," cried Worubu.

"Wait isn't it Mrs Walker now?" laughed the President who shook her hand, Diana bluhed and nodded, she was the wife of Kit Walker now, and she couldn't be prouder.

They walked over to the jeep as that they were to escort Diana to Skull Cave but then she stopped, she looked around and had noticed, "Where's Captain Horton?" President Luaga gave Worubu an uncertain look, they all stood in silence. There was someting not righ to Diana. "Well?" she demanded her voice stern but still soft.

Worubu was about to answer when...Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, there was the noise of drums too familiar to Diana. thump, thump, thump, thump, they went. It was the Rope people drumming. They were calling for their protector...

_THE_**PHANTOM**

**Author's Note: I am a huge fan of the Phantom comics. It was once because the comics were cheep and the stories were kool. the still are. I just miss them is all. Please review, the do me a lot of good in my writing. I might get back into writing Merlin though but if you like this story then I'll either continue this one or do both. Molto Bene.**


	2. Calling the Phantom

**CALLING THE PHANTOM**

In the darkness of the great cave a lone figure sat on his stone throne. His trusted companion sat beside him. Draped in purple, this masked figure of virtue and mystery sat in wait for when his kingdom needed him. He waited in the silence, waited for the sound…he waited until finally…

BOOM….BOOM, BOOM…BOOM, BOOM…BOOM. Unlike some who might also have no other life outside of justice might find turn t causing crime in order to relinquish it, no The Phantom was patient…an old jungle saying.

The man stands, his guns in his belt as he moves no to his horse. Hero was his name while Devil, his wolf friend follows, not riding but circling the horse in wait for directions. His master rounds the horse down the dark corridor. In a flash Hero dashes through the tunnel and out of the mouth.

Hidden in the boom of the drums was the mission he was to go on._ His friend Horton had gone missing, a rusted ship bearing a pirate flag had appeared out of the southern rivers, mystery surrounds everything_, said the drums, calling you, oh protector who never sleeps, Phantom who never dies.

He was the Ghost Who Walks, an entity who protected the jungles of Bangalla from the threats of evil and injustice. Under the sacred oath he swore to defend the week and helpless.

Through the dark jungle the mounted Phantom rides unseen unnoticed by the jungle, or perhaps they just don't see the reason to disrupt their jungle's sentinel while he rides to serve them. They too heard the message in the sound, it called the Phantom and the Phantom heeds their calls. This is his charge he has for his kingdom.

After an hour of riding, the man, the horse and the wolf clear the trees and they find themselves on a cliff overlooking a harbour. There was a pirate ship. It had just reached the harbour and by the looks of it the owners of the ship had conquered the docks. His eagle vision saw what he needed to go into action. He saw seven men surrounding a cluster of dockworkers.

'Do you see what I see, Devil?' the wolf howls a yes. Good enough for the Phantom and they race down the side where the cliff shrinks down.

This was his kingdom and every living thing native or find refuge in his kingdom is subject to its laws— the natural laws of reality and of life. They raced down but cautious not to draw attention too early. He needs the element of surprise but when he presents himself it must be in a way that they be scarred out of the grasp of evil.

**/\**

On the docks, the Somalia pirates rounded up their hostages. They were to stand guard as their masters took one of them, a Jungle Patrol in for interrogation. Patrol Captain Horton had come across a rare artefact that his friend in the Archaeological community had come across. The artefact it would seem was desired by a great many parties.

That was what they were doing there in the first place. Usually these pirates would never dare come ashore on Bengalla. They knew what protected it, but their employers did not. Now they were in conflict as to which to fear—their big time city masters or The Ghost Who Walks.

In their ship named The Draught, Captain Philip Horton sat, tied to the chair and faced with four men in grey business suits.

'Where is it, Captain?' asked one of the men in a rough and demanding tone of voice suggesting he was a leading figure, never takes 'no' for an answer…unless he was answering.

Then another came at him, 'We know that Dr Jones had sent you a package, inside was an artefact that he discovered in Greece. We also know that he had explained to you of its importance and that you should hide it.'

'You know,' Horton started up, 'you people have very bad people skills.' He said with a defying smirk.

He was then surprised by a fist pounding his face. He groaned in pain for a brief while before returning to his smirking. His moustache now drenched in blood but continued to smile.

'What'd I tell ya? Bad people skills.'

One of the men started circling him. It was the man that punched him, he could tell from the fact he was clutching his right fist, probably the fist that he used to hit him with. 'We're getting impatient here Phil. We need that artefact, Captain.'

'I told you, I don't know what the hell you're looking for.' Horton sat himself up again. 'Yes, I do know Dr Henry Jones Jr and yes I did receive a package from him but all it was were a few photos of him and Marion Ravenwood and it was taken IN CAIRO!' he spat out some blood he had in his mouth before continuing. 'Along with a few sack of dates…you know dates, that nice delicacy from the deserts in Arabia?'

'Don't lie to us, Captain. We knew the exact content of that package and where it came from. Dr Jones was in Greece when he sent you it.'

'Oh now you're questioning how well I know my best friend?' Horton said accusingly.

They all grumbled in annoyance.

**/\**

Outside, the pirates were getting restless. They heard the beating drums, echoing off the trees, taunting them…warning them. There is an old jungle saying that he has always heard of, '_Call the Phantom anywhere, and he will hear_.'

They drew out their guns in anticipation for the worst. What had they gotten themselves into? 'You three guard the prisoners,' commanded their captain. He then motioned for the remaining four to follow to the face of the forest.

The beat of the drums grew louder, it was deafening.

Then…Out of the darkness of the trees sprung the terrible creature of the jungle, the king of its natural essence. The Bengalla jungle had called in her protector. The pirate captain drew his rifle and cried out to his man, 'PHANTOM!'

/The **PHANTOM**

**Author's Note: So what do you think? Good or bad? Tell me and tell me what needs to be changed. Thank you.**


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